


The Curious Incident of the Danno in the Night-Time

by SBG



Series: Little Problem [5]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Gen, Kid Fic, M/M, Timestamp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-18
Updated: 2013-03-18
Packaged: 2017-12-05 17:50:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/726117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SBG/pseuds/SBG
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What Steve was in now was a more localized dangerous territory, and that he’d be more comfortable splinting his own broken leg than this was alarming even to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Curious Incident of the Danno in the Night-Time

**Author's Note:**

> Title from the Sherlock Holmes short story "Silver Blaze", because when I started this, I was going to have Danny insist Steve read to him and Arthur Conan Doyle was all that was available. But then I didn't, and the title stuck anyway.
> 
> For those few who like wee!Danny, enjoy! For those who don't, sorry for the spam. ;)

Steve had never given much thought to the plight of parents of a toddler before. Aside from vague recollections of his sister transitioning from a tiny, wailing monster of a baby to a slightly larger wailing monster of a girl, he had never had extended direct exposure to kids of a certain age and they were, therefore, completely outside of his sphere. If he had had the time during his own rigorous life as a SEAL to ponder such things, he doubted very much he would have come to the same conclusion he had by gaining firsthand experience. 

His SEALs training had encompassed scenarios many would consider unrealistic because the average person had the luxury of not having to think about them. In that way, he was as out of his element as a civilian would be tracking an international criminal mastermind for five long years, through incredibly dangerous territory and while accumulating injuries along the way. 

What Steve was in now was a more localized dangerous territory, and that he’d be more comfortable splinting his own broken leg than this was alarming even to him.

“You want me to come over?”

He was careful to keep an eye on his charge, but he had to move, keep the blood flowing. He paced at the edge of the living room, ducking occasionally through the kitchen door and back out, never losing the line of sight for more than a few seconds. He’d learned that lesson when he’d hit the head with the door shut earlier. Mistake. He needed to put on a pot of coffee, he thought, because this distraction and reprieve was temporary and wouldn’t last that long. He had to keep reminding himself that this was nothing compared to his former life. Steve wondered how much the emotions of the day had drained him physically as well. He wouldn’t go back to the way he was before he found _ohana_ here in Chin, Kono and Danny, but he had to admit it had been easier to forge through the shit when he had no emotional connections. He sighed.

“No, no, I’m still not sure I’m the right person for the job, but I’m in it up to my elbows now. I went shopping. I cooked four different things until I found something he’d eat. And yes, I did ask him what he wanted first. I’m halfway convinced he just changed his mind to mess with mine,” Steve said. 

His head was foggy with exhaustion. He thought it was a minor miracle he’d made it to this hour without turning into a zombie, to be quite honest. Hours ago, he’d smacked into the wall and had kept on through sheer necessity and copious amounts of adrenaline. He had no idea how people produced miniature human beings multiple times. After one, he would be so absolutely done. Maybe it was just his particular one. He clutched at the phone, his lifeline to adult conversation. Sort of. He wasn’t getting as much out of this interaction as he might have, but the thought of having someone else see him, and his house, in this state would put too big a ding in his pride.

“Come on, _brah_ , he’s, what, two, two and a half? He’s not capable of that level of deviousness.”

“Oh, he’s a little devil. You saw how he got up into the clock tower this morning. Multiply that by twenty and you’ll have some idea of how my day has been.” Steve sneaked a glance around the doorframe at the devil he knew. “But, no, I don’t need you to come over. That might make it worse. Thanks, though.”

“Please tell me you’ll at least get a picture of him in his jammies,” Kono said. “I swear to you I will not upload it anywhere when you share it with me.”

Steve slapped his forehead. He had completely forgotten to buy pajamas after Danny had fled the store to go try and flag down a cab or whatever that particular escape attempt had been about, but he wasn’t about to tell anyone that. Especially Kono. She’d encourage him to let Danny sleep in the buff, and to get a(nother) picture of his child-sized partner’s bottom. Danny could sleep in his boardies and Superman T-shirt. 

“Kono, if you wanted more blackmail material, you should have volunteered for this assignment.”

“Oh, boss.” Kono sighed and her expression was undoubtedly one of affected sorrow. “And deprive you of this bonding time with Danny?”

Bonding time. The bonding time Kono teased about had been more like a modified version of BUD/S, SQT and TRP combined. Hysterical laughter threatened to break free, but he didn’t want to disturb his tiny tornado of a houseguest. The urge to laugh quickly changed into the need to cry. Steve had been five minutes away from admitting defeat against a toddler most of the day, and now he was simply grateful he was about to have about an eight-hour respite. That was how it worked, right? Eventually even the Energizer Danny had to power down. And recharge. Oh, God. The thought that a full night’s rest would only make Danny more active had Steve pre-panicking for tomorrow.

“You’re not nearly as funny as you think you are,” was all Steve said, then he hung up on Kono before she could say anything else. 

The tornado was currently cozied up watching the only DVD Steve had been able to find in his relatively frenzied state. He could hear the cartoon launch into another song and didn’t know if he should hate Disney or love it when the sound of quiet, sweet laughter followed the onset of the tune. The very small part of him that wasn’t exhausted and worried about the permanence of this situation despite Onakea’s promises melted. When the wee version of Danny wasn’t dead set on escape, he was actually cute. 

Yes, absolutely cute, he thought as he peered over at Danny, who sat on the couch. The boy was tucking and folding his right ear (Steve _had_ figured out that was a self-comfort thing) and had his bare left foot in his left hand, lifted high and wiggling his toes. He looked a bit like a pretzel, but his eyes were glued to the TV and the reflection off it gave his eyes an even bluer cast. Steve sighed, cursed Kono just a little and had to capture the moment for posterity. It wasn’t going to leave his own phone. Besides, when this was over Danny would probably demand proof. 

If Steve wanted a memento of the rare, sweet moments for himself, he would dare anyone to fault him for it.

Steve knew it was only a matter of time before Danny would drop off into sleep. He hadn’t determined the best place to let the boy bunk yet. Had he not spent all day chasing after the kid, he would have used a spare room without a hesitation. Now, that felt like an open invitation to disaster. He also wasn’t comfortable taking this version of Danny into the bedroom they often shared these days. It wasn’t _theirs_ , per se, as he and Danny hadn’t spoken about whatever this thing between them was. Steve knew what it was to him; Danny was his, his everything. With the way little Danny’s instincts seemed to be to run from him, he found himself doubting how adult Danny felt about them as a Them. Was de-aging like getting drunk – a person’s true thoughts bleeding through when there were reduced inhibitions?

He scowled. No. What he had to focus on was keeping this child safe until he got his Danny back. Steve headed all the way back into the room to attempt once again to achieve that bonding time Kono had joked about. Maybe if he were lucky, Danny would let him sit next to him on the sofa without kicking up a fuss. Or just kicking him, he thought ruefully. A few steps into his short journey, he tripped over something directly in his path. Unprepared and off his game anyway, he stumbled a few steps with his arms pinwheeling around haphazardly. He caught himself, just barely, and turned to glare at whatever had caused the near wipeout. It was a tiny pair of yellow slippahs, and he knew they hadn’t been there on his way out. The annoying but adorable giggle from the sofa was the only proof he needed.

“Oooh-be-doo,” Danny said, then waggled his head. “Bear monkey.”

Steve glanced at the television screen and saw a cartoon orangutan dancing with a large cartoon bear, the bear’s disguise as a monkey falling apart as the song ended. Nice. Even as a tot, Danny was calling him an animal. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

“ _You’re_ not as funny as you think, either,” Steve said, poking a finger at Danny.

“Am too. Funny, funny, funny.” Danny nodded and laughed some more.

Steve mimicked the wild dancing the cartoon animals had engaged in the rest of the way to the couch, collapsing onto it next to Danny. He didn’t read too much into the fact that Danny didn’t protest his nearness, considering he more than suspected the kid had devised a plan to trip him. Just like his Danny, this one was a complicated beast, sweet and sour. But when Danny snuggled against his arm, he automatically raised it and wrapped it around the small boy and his heart may have done the figurative grew-three-sizes-that-day thing.

He was right, though. It didn’t take long for Danny to relax completely against Steve’s side, his head to bob and then jerk a bit as he fought and failed to ward off sleep. Steve dared a look down, slightly astonished again at how angelic the devil could look when at full rest, then relaxed himself. He let the movie run, not watching it so much as not wanting to move and disturb Danny. He slouched a bit, stiffened as Danny snuffled and changed position, then relaxed again as the boy settled into a light snore. He let his head fall against the back of the couch. He didn’t intend to do more than doze, for reasons, but yes. Peace at last. He closed his eyes…

…and jerked upright, instantly on alert. The television screen was all blue, the movie long over and, beyond the ever present susurration of waves from out front, the room was quiet. Steve hated to be cliché, but it was too quiet. He recognized that as a clear and present danger, and a blink later realized what else was wrong. There was no longer a small person curled up against his side. A hand flat on the sofa next to him revealed no warm spot, and the way his neck crackled and popped meant he’d been out for a while. Oh, _shit_ , would he ever learn? This was beyond ridiculous now. The jolt of fearful adrenaline had him more than wide awake.

“Danny?” Steve called, though he knew it wouldn’t do any good. “Daniel Williams, you get your butt out here!”

He might be slow on the uptake on keeping Danny from breaking loose, but he did know that this Danny and his Danny had the same stubborn streak. Once Danny had a goal in mind, he wasn’t going to stop until he found a way to get it. Unfortunately, there was no way this tyke could make it to New Jersey in his current miniature form and he was too little to apply logic to realize he should give up. Honestly, as nerve-wracking and as personally as he took the escape attempts, Steve could only feel bad for the boy. Later, after he prevented catastrophe from befalling again.

Maybe he was adapting a little, though, because Steve knew instinctively that Danny would not be in any of the previously used hiding spots. Danny was a repeat offender, but he was deceptively smart and creative for a child his age. Steve still did a quick recon of the usual places just in case – behind the sofa, under the (now toxin free) kitchen sink, in the cubby beneath the stairs – but as he suspected, no sign of Danny. He checked the main door, locked, but the doors off the kitchen to the lower level of the _lanai_ had been giving him problems. Danny could easily outsmart them. They were shut. Relieved, he sagged against the wall for a moment. Chances were pretty good Danny was still in the house. That eased his alarm quite a bit. 

“Danny,” he called again, hoping against hope that maybe the few strides he’d made with Danny would translate into actual trust. Hah. He got no answer. He muttered, “You little shit.”

He pushed away from the wall, prepared to turn over every piece of furniture, find every nook and cranny. Steve wouldn’t be able to say later, when things got back to normal, exactly what had made him pause and tip his head. But standing stock still in the middle of his war-torn house, he heard the unhearable. The sound was barely noticeable, but no, there it was, a faint squeaking noise, like a window washer’s squeegee and scraper. 

His legs were moving before he realized he was heading toward the garage. Steve almost had the thought that there was no way Danny could have gotten out there, but had the wherewithal to halt that before it finished. He was a broken record. No wonder Danny was finding it so easy to slip away from him. By now, he should have stopped underestimating Danny. Frowning, he nudged the already ajar door open wider, just in time to see a flash of blue and red slide into the open driver’s side window of the Marquis. 

“Danny,” he said. “I see you, Superman.”

Nothing. Then a quiet, “Nuh uh.”

For a second or two, Steve almost couldn’t contain the laughter. Now that he knew Danny hadn’t gotten himself into another dire situation, the impertinence was pretty hilarious. Danny did always complain that he didn’t get to drive. That wasn’t changing tonight, when his feet wouldn’t come anywhere near the pedals of the enormous old car. 

“Nice try, kiddo.” The up and down emotions were definitely taking a toll, Steve thought. How many times had he done the panic-into-relief thing? Too damn many. He might need psychiatric help when all was said and done. “You don’t have a license yet.”

Steve had no clue how Danny had scaled the door to get through the window until he took a few steps toward the car and saw smudges along the shiny black hood, and across the windshield. Tiny handprints, smudged knee and toe prints. He thought about the traits wee!Danny shared with his grown-up counterpart and had this wild idea that his Danny was a lot more agile than he ever let anyone see, including him, and it made him almost sad to consider why his partner was so keen to keep the layers that made him who he was protected from view. He smiled at this Danny, nose and eyes peeking over the edge of the door now, staring at him.

“No keys,” Danny said mournfully.

“Ah, buddy,” Steve said, leaning into the car and pulling Danny out easily. “I promise when you get bigger, I’ll let you drive every day for a whole week without calling you an uncle.”

Danny sighed, like he didn’t believe that for a second.


End file.
